Lock washer



Aug, 2Q, 1935. i W ZINNBAUER 2,@12,@32

LOCK WASHER Original Filed April 30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet l l N VEN TOR. 3444/4 5. Z/mfiawe B Y j/isw A TTORNEY.

Aug. 20, 1935. w. E. ZINNBAUIIER LOCK WASHER Original Filed April 30, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR. Mx/AWZ. Z/m mwe lif/sll A TTORNEY.

Patented Aug 2il, 1935 re We LOCK WASHER,

William Zinnbauer, Detroit, Mich.

Continuation-"oi application Serial No. 448.711, 7 April 30, 1930. This application August 11,

1932, Serial Ida-628,557

- utilized on a bolt between a work body and a nut to prevent the nut from unthreading on the bolt and is a continuation of my application Serial No. 448,711, filed April 30, 1930.

An object of the device is to provide a lock washer provided in its main body withalternately raised and depressed portions and having integral portions extending from the body of the washer, the same having-resilient teeth disposed 7 inopposite directions, one set of teeth engaging the nut and the teeth extending in the opposite I direction engaging the work.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lock washer, the body. portion of which is formed with alternate raised and depressed portions and resilient teeth formed integrally with the body portion and extending therefrom, the cutting edges of the teeth extending in oppositedirections and in a plane higher and lower than thealternate raised and depressed portions of the body.

Another object of the invention is to provide a lock washer, the body portion of which is formedwith alternate raised and depressed portions to limit the movement of the nut toward the work so that the relation of. the cutting edges of the teeth to the body portion is always at an angle greater than zero degrees.

With the well known flat sheet metal type of lock washer having struck up teeth the said teeth are pressed to the plane of the washer between the work and the nut in turning the nut to place. This is likewise practically true ofjthe common split ring form of washer in which the two ends are reversely bent out of the plane of the washer. Such previous structures do not provide a highly efficient means for preventing the unthreading of the nut as in both the structures mentioned the teeth are so flattened by the nut that the angle of the tooth engaging the nut I or the work is so near the plane of. the surface contacted thereby as to materially detract from its eificiency. In my improved construction having the alternate raised and depressed portions connected by a part practically ata right angle to the plane of the washer and having'a tooth struck'up from the bottom of the depressions;

the tooth is always in engagement with the work at a materially greater angle than has heretofore been the case and therefore-is more highly efiicient in use.

With these and other objects in View the several features of the invention are hereinafter.

' are approximately centrally located in relation portion 3 and likewise the resilient tooth lis more fully described and claimed, and-the preferred form of construction by which these objects are attained is shown in theaccompanying drawings in whichi Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved lock washer.

Fig. 2 is an end view of one of thelugs looking from line 2-2 of Fig. l. i

Fig. 3 is a plan view of a modified form of lock washer.

Fig. i is an assembly ofa lock washer with. a nut and a work body before the nut has been screwed down.

Fig. 5 isa top plan view of a modified form of lock washer.- I Fig. 6 is a developed section taken on line SB of Fig. 5. j Fig. 7. is a partial top planview of another modified form of washer.

Fig. 8 is a section taken on line 8 -3 of Fig. 7. Referring now to the drawings wherein'like characters representlike parts throughout the several views, the lock washer l comprises a circular body portion 2 composed of alternate raised and depressed portions 3 and 4 respectively. Extending inwardly from the body portion 2 are the portionsor lugs 5 the edges of which are alternately raised and depressed as indicated at 6 and l.

It is to be understood that the inwardly extending portions 5 may be provided with alternately raised and depressed prongs instead of edges but in practice it has been found that the cutting edges are more practical in use. As best seen in'Fig. 1 it will be seen that the teeth 6 to the depressed portions 4, and the cutting teeth 1 are approximately centrally located in relation to the raisedportions 3.

As best seen in Fig. 2 the enclosed angle between the face 8 and the face 9, the meeting edge of which acts as a tooth for engaging the work or the nut, is somewhat less than ninety degrees. As will alsobe seen in Fig. 2 the resilient tooth:6 is above the plane of the upper face of the raised 4 below the plane of the lower face of the depressed portion 4. When the nut has been drawn down to contact with the upper face of the raised portionI-l and the work isin contact with the lower face of the depressed portion 4 the resilient teeth 6 and 1 will assume a'position approximately :as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 2. This change in angularposition of the tooth tends to shorten the distancebetween the cutting edge of the tooth the alternate raised and depressed portions, is of such character as to prevent deformation of the ody portion 2 to any material extentasthe con necting portion between two oppositely disposed depressions provides a 'seriesof solid metal parts in contact at opposite ends or surfaces with the respective faces of the nut and of the work.

Referringnow to Figs. 3and i the body portion 28 of the lock washer is constructed substantially as heretofore described. The body portion 29 is provided with outwardly extending portions or lugs 2| the same beingintegral withthe body portion 28. The outwardly extending portions ii are provided with alternate raised and depressed resilient teeth 22 and 23 respectively. The teeth 22 are in a plane above the upper face of the raised portions 3 and the teeth 23 arein a, plane below the lower face of the depressed portions 5 thus permitting the nut and the work to come in contact withthe teeth 22 and 23 before the nut comes into contact with the raised portions 3 and the work in contact with the depressed portions 4. a V This form of washer is equal in efficiency and equivalent in all general respects to the form shown in Figsl and 2, the only difference being that the teeth are formed by outwardly extending portions 2! instead-of inwardly extending portions 5 and preferably in either form the; cutting edges of the toothed portions occupy a plane, parallel with the plane of the washer whereby cutting edges are provided rather than cutting points as has sometimes'been the practice in other forms of lock washers.

As best illustrated in Figgi, it is obvious that when the nutis threaded on the bolt the nut will press the tongues 22 down toward the body po tion 2% and the work will press the resilientteeth 23 up toward the body portion 28. The resiliency in the teeth 22 and-23 will cause them to engage with the nut and thework toiprevent the nut from turning in relation to the worln As shown in this figure the nut has just been brought into contact with the washer so that the teeth are still above and below. the plane of the, main bodyvportion.

if undue pressure is applied to the face of the washer by threading the nutdown on the bolt the threads in either the bolt or'the nut are .apt to be stripped off before the body portion of the washer is flattened out.

7 Referring now to Figs. 5 and 6, it will be seen that the body portion 352 is provided with the alternate raised and depressed portions 3! and 32 respectively,.the raised portions 3! being provided centrally thereof with the upturned teeth 33 while described, the only difference being that the teeth for engaging the nut andthe workbody are providedin the'main body portion of the washer'instead of extendingtherefrom'l In Figs. 7 an'd8 it will be seen that thewasher 40 is substantially the same as shown in Fig. 1 the diiference being that the raised portion M in the body is provided with a crowned surface while the depressed portion 42 is provided with a reverselycrowned surface the purpose of the same being to give an added resiliency to the body of the washer.

A further feature is secured by the provision of these crowned surfaces from which the toothed portions'are struck in that through drawing the nut down onto the washer a spring tension is created between the nut and the work and at the same time the straightening out of these crowned surfaces tends to force the tooth outwardly from the recess to engagement with the surface of the nut orworkrespectively.

It will be noted from Fig. 7 that the depressed portion 22 is provided with the teeth d3 while the raised portion 4! is providedwith the teeth 14.

In either form of construction of the washer descrlbedit is to be noted that the toothed portions, probably best illustrated in Fig. '1 have one entire side integral with the adjacentbody. Heretofore it has commonly been. the practice to slit the metal and thus separate the outbent portion of the herein described will always have cutting teeth construction permitting the cutting tooth tolie at an'angle of approximately thirty degrees to the plane of the washer while under pressure of the nut is important for the reason that there is much greater snubbing effect produced than isthe case where the teeth flatten to the plane of a the washer or to practically a zero degree to the face of the work or the nut contacting the tooth. In such former constructions where the teeth fiatten to the plane of the work the nut must loosen to some extent before the teeth'can function to prevent rotation.

From the foregoing description it will be evident that the structure described provides a lock washer by which the various objects of the invention as heretofore set forth are attained;

Having thus fully described my invention, its utility and mode of operation, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is- 1. In a lock washer, a body portion provided with alternate raised and depressed portions, lugs extending radially from the body portion and provided at their sideedges with oppositely extending teeth, said lugs each having similar portions respectively on the plane of araised and a depressed body portion, the tooth of. one edge of each lug being in a planehigher than the raised portion of the body and the opposite tooth of the work incontact with the washer alsotending to lug being ina plane lower than the depressed portion in the body.

. '2. In a lockwasher, a body portion provided with raised and depressediportions, lugs extending radially from the body portionfand provided on their edges with oppositely extending teeth, the set of teeth extending from the depressed portion of the body being in a plane higher than the raised portion'of the body, the other set of teeth being in a plane lower thanthe depressed portion of the body. i 3. In a lock washer, a body portion having alternate raised and depressed portions therein, the metal connecting the respective ends of the raised and. depressed portions being practically at a right angle to the plane thereof, and teeth struck from the raised and depressedportions, the cutting edge of the tooth struck from a raised por- I tion terminating in'a plane below the surface of the adjacent depressed portion and the tooth struck from a depressed portion terminating above the surface of the adjacent raised portion, the

teeth struck from adjacent raised and depressed portions extending in opposite directions respectively. l Q

iVIn a lock washer, a body of ring-like iorm having alternate portions thereof struck'out in opposite directions from a center plane forming alternate depressions in the opposite-faces of the washer, the outer surfaces of the portions forming the depressions being convex in form and the metal of the body connecting the said alternate portions lying at-approximately a right angle to the center plane of the washer to withstand the strains to which the washer is subjected without collapse of the pressed out portions, and teeth formed on the said body extending from a depressed portion thereof to beyond the plane occally through its length,said teeth projecting normally to beyond the plane of the surface of the body toward which it is struck torelatively engage the nut and work under spring "pressure unaffected by the pressure engagement of the nut and work with the washer.

6. In a lock washer for use on a threaded bolt between a nut and a work body, a body of ringlike form having alternate portions thereof struck,

out in opposite directions from the center plane forming depressions opening in alternate relae tion through opposite faces of the washer, the bottoms of the depressions being arcuate in form having a long radius and the metal of the body connecting said arcuate portions lying at approxi ma-tely a right angle to the center plane of the washer, said structure providing a washer compressible in a direction at a right angle to a center plane thereof until the opposite end surfaces of the connecting surfaces of the connecting portions are in engagement respectively with the nut and the work whereby the nut is under spring pressure tending to frictionally resist rotation thereof, and teeth carriedby the body portion to engage'both the surface of the nut and of the member to receive the same, and a work body, of

a lock washer having a body portion formed with V alternate raised and depressedparts of a character permit-ting the said body to be compressed through pressure of the nut thereagain'st in threading the same on said threaded member, and teeth struck outwardly from the bottoms of said depressions, the cutting edges of which are on a radial line of the washer and occupying a plane parallelwith the center plane of the washer,

said cutting edges 'engaging -the nut or the work side of the-washer, the cutting edges of which are radially disposed and occupy a plane practically parallel with the center plane of the washer and normally extending to beyond the face of the washer towardwhich they are struck.

9. Ina lock washer for use between a nut and a work body, a body member of spring sheet metal shaped to provide uniform alternate raised and depressed portions of a shape and arrangement to permit a limited compression of the body of the washer through the turning of the nut under pressure therea'gainst, and teeth at one side of the said body portion having cutting edges radially disposed to engage thesurface of the nut or of the work under spring pressure, the arrangement being such that the compression of the body tends to increase thepressure with which the teeth engage the nut or the work.

10; In a lock washer for use between a nut and i the opposite face of the washer providing a construction in which the cutting edge of the tooth -engages the nut or the work as the case may be while the base of 'each tooth is supported throughout its width by the other member.

11. In alock washer for use between a nut and work body, a body of spring metal having successive parts thereof alternately pressed outwardly from the center plane providing oppositely disposed depressions, the bottoms of which are re spectively engaged by the nut and the work body, radial extensions in the plane of the bottom of the said depressions, the edge of the extension from one set of depressions being struck outwardly providing a series of teeth for engagement with the nut and the opposite edges of "the extensions from the other set of depressions also beingstruck outwardly providing a seriesof oppositely disposed teeth for engagement with the work, the cutting edges of the teeth occupying a plane parallel with the center plane of the body of the washer and normally extending to beyond the plane occupied by the bases of the depressions each depression to beyond theplane of the sur- I face of an adjacent part whereby the same may respectively engage the nut and work under spring pressure unaffected by the pressure en-' gagement of the nut and work on. the opposite faces of the washer.

13. In a lock washer, the combination with a nut, a threaded member to receive the same, and a work body, of a washer like body member having alternate raised and depressed portions struck outwardly of the opposite side faces ofthe washer, the walls connecting the alternate raised 7 and depressed portions lying approximately at a right angle to the center plane of the washer, the faces of the said raised and depressed portions between the right angle portions being respectivcly oppositely curved providing astructure compressible to the degree permitted by the said curved faces and limited by the said right angled connecting portions whereby the said body portion is prevented from beingfiattened, and teeth struck. up from the bottom of each depress sion and extending outwardlyin respect thereto to engagement under spring pressure with the surface of the workor the nut as the case may be.

i l. In a lock washer, a body portion of ring like form having alternate portions thereof struck outwardly in opposite directions from a center plane of the body to provide oppositelydisposed depressions connected together with an integral wall, the length of which transversely of the body from face to face is greater than the thickness of the meta and supporting the said depressions from deformation through pressure applied thereto in use between a nut and a work piece, said body having integral radial lugs extending to one side thereof at alternate integral walls and said walls extending centrally across the companion lugs whereby a portion of each lug on one side of the wall occupies the plane of one, depression and a portion thereof on the opposite side of the Wall occupies the plane of the other depression,

said portions of the lugs respectively having edge 15. In a lock'washer, a body of ring like form having successive parts thereof pressed outwardly in alternate relation from a center plane of the body providing radially disposed depressions having flat faces oncpposite sides of thewasher parallel with the center plane of the washer and teeth of a length less than the width of the depressions circumferentially or the washer struck outwardly from one side of the bottom of each depression and extending to beyond the plane of the base of anradjacent oppositely disposed depression whereby successive teeth may respectively engage the nut and Work under spring pressure unaffected by the pressure of engagement of the nut and work with the respectively opp "sitely disposed bases of the depressions.

16. In a lock wash-er, an annular body portion having successive parts pressed outwardly in alternate relation from the center plane of the body providing radially disposed depressions having outer flat faces parallel with the center plane of the body and connected by an intervening body portion extending transversely of the plane of the body to sustain the depressions against deformation by pressure applied to the washer in use between a nut and awork piece, and prongs integral with the depressions and extending outwardly in respect to the open side of each depression to engagement respectively with v the nut and work, 7 1

l'i. In a lockwasher, an annular body portio having I a series of depressions formed therein each in alternate relation being struck outwardly from opposite sides of the body portion providing fiat faces on opposite sides parallel with the center plane of the body, and a plurality of work engaging prongsintegral with the body each extending from the bottom of a depression in a direction-towardthe opposite side of the body thus providing alternately disposed radial locking edges each normally projecting beyond a plane coincident with the outer face of an adjacent oppcsitely disposed depression.

WILLIAM E. ZINNBAUER. 

